Virapulla is a traditional

Swedish Swedish or ' may refer to: Anything from or related to Sweden, a country in Northern Europe. Or, specifically: * Swedish language, a North Germanic language spoken primarily in Sweden and Finland ** Swedish alphabet, the official alphabet used by ...

container designed to hold poker chips or tokens used in the card game '' Vira''. Typically round and lidded, the virapulla often features separate compartments for each player and a reversible lid that can serve as a central pot. The name combines ''Vira'', the name of the game, with ''pulla'', a Swedish word derived from the French ''poulan'', meaning a gaming bowl. While originally associated with porcelain or metal constructions, modern versions can be made from plastic or other materials. Though once a common household item in Sweden, virapullas today are primarily of interest to collectors and enthusiasts of traditional card games.''Spelmarker''
Image and description of a virapulla in the Skelleftea Museum. Retrieved 28 September 2020.

Design and Use

The virapulla is typically a circular container with a fitted lid and multiple internal compartments. It is specifically designed to hold the gaming tokens used in the Swedish trick-taking card game ''Vira'', which was particularly popular in the 19th and early 20th centuries. Each compartment within the virapulla is usually designated for a specific player, allowing for easy organization of chips during gameplay. The lid of the virapulla often serves a dual function. When flipped over, it can be used as a communal pot where players place wagers or stakes during certain phases of the game. This practical feature reflects the thoughtful integration of form and function in traditional Swedish game equipment. Virapullas have been made from a variety of materials, including porcelain, wood, metal, and plastic. Porcelain versions, especially those from the 19th century, were often ornately decorated and are now considered collectible items. Later models, particularly those made in the mid-20th century, tended to be simpler and mass-produced.

Description

A virapulla container may be made of plastic, china''SLM 36822''
- Fine example of a china virapulla at the Sörmlands Museum. Retrieved 28 September 2020. or metal. The counters are based on the old French system with circular, short and long rectangular pieces known in French as ''jetons'', ''fiches'' and ''contrats''. There are individual dishes for the players and the container has a reversible lid for the common

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. The name is derived from the game of Vira and the French word ''poulan,'' which means "gaming dish". The French influence may be because Vira was derived from the then French games of

Ombre Ombre (, pronounced "omber") or l'Hombre is a fast-moving seventeenth-century trick-taking card game for three players and "the most successful card game ever invented." Its history began in Spain around the end of the 16th century as a four-p ...

and

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. The game was invented in the 19th century and the virapulla in the early 20th century.

References

{{card-game-stub Swedish card games Card game equipment Gaming devices